“I fell in love with Jessica and Ruben the day that I met them. This was not just a wedding, but a true connection of two souls meant for one another in a very spiritual way. From writing each other letters and reading them, to saying their vows, to hearing the guests’ congratulations – this couple had it all. The rustic nature of this wedding and beautiful décor added personal touches to Jessica and Ruben’s Big Day, but it is their love story that defined it!” – Anna Smith Photography
What is your favorite wedding day memory?
My favorite wedding memory is the bouquet toss. Just moments before, our day-of coordinator warned me about the hanging chandeliers. Lo-and-behold, when I heard gasps just after tossing the bouquet, I turned and noticed everyone gazing up! And of course, the bouquet was perfectly lodged in one of the chandeliers – haha! So we gave it another go using the flower girl’s bouquet, with success that time!
What did you DIY for your wedding?
We did our own invitations, guest book, escort cards, programs, welcome table. We only had to make 25 invites (guest count was 50), and even then, it was much more time consuming than I planned! Figuring out whether the smaller cut paper would work in my printer was probably the most time-consuming – back and forth to Paper Source! We also printed our own escort cards, used a punch-out stamp for the “tag” shapes – that was easy! I also had my best friends pitch in: set up our rocks for people to write words of wisdom, and created the flag banner for the cake. I felt like a lot of the detail items aren’t thought of until later in the process when we were in a time-crunch, so this was a huge help!
Something old, new, borrowed and blue?
I did, but nothing unique. New – shoes, Old – diamond earrings (Grad school graduation gift from parents), Blue – garter had a blue rhinestone, Borrowed – I consider my dress was borrowed, even though I bought it (I got it from Brides Against Breast Cancer fundraiser, brides donate their dresses for the cause!)
Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?
Ask your vendors for discounts, especially if you pay in full up front. Don’t stress too much about the little things, and solicit help from future hubby, friends & family! Once I was willing to “let go” and have others help out, it helped relieve stress and was a much smoother process! Plus, it gets everyone excited and feel part of the process. – Jessica, the bride
Event Credits
Photography: Anna Smith Photography // Venue: Vista West Ranch // Catering: Catering by Mopsie // Flowers: Elegant Bee // Photobooth: Pix in a Box // Dessert: Cupcake Bar // Decor: Petal Pushers // Dress: Oleg Cassini // Veil: Veiled Beauty // Garter: Lovely Garters // Hair: Jeni Hoover with Pearl Studio // Makeup: Maris Malone Calderon with Pearl Studio // Shoes: Nine West // Wedding cake: D'Pastele // Day of Coordinator: Coordinate This // Bartenders: Bar Butlers // DJ: Complete Music-Video-Photo // Rings: Kay Jewelers // Groom's Suit: Men's Warehouse // Invitations: DIY (Paper Source) // Officiant: Pastor Nathan Sloan at Faith For Life Church
